Senate Unanimously Passed a Bill Making Juneteenth a Federal Holiday

Juneteenth is now a federal holiday. Tuesday’s unanimous Senate vote established June 19th National Independence Day. This federal holiday celebrates the end slavery in the United States.

The Black community has been celebrating this day for many years. However, legislation gained momentum in the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin (police officer). This, combined with the Democrat majority at Congress, meant that the bill was passed without much resistance. Wisconsin Republican senator Ron Johnson did express opposition to the bill in 2020, but said in a statement that he will support it since “there is no appetite in Congress to further discuss the matter.”

Kamala Harris, Vice President, introduced the bill to make Juneteenth an official federal holiday in 2020 while she was still a senator. “Juneteenth is a day to remember the millions who died from enslavement in America, and those who survived and fought to end it,” Harris tweeted on June 18 of last year. “And it needs to be a national holiday. We’re introducing a bill to do just that.”

Once the House of Representatives has passed Juneteenth, it will be a federal holiday. However, some have criticized the announcement, pointing out that it distracts from important racial topics.

As columnist Renée Graham tweeted, “The Senate unanimously passed legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, yet many of these senators don’t want schoolchildren to be taught why Juneteenth is relevant or the centuries-long atrocities that preceded it.” 

Others argue that Juneteenth is now a federal holiday IsIt is important to teach about it in schools. “Getting Juneteenth recognized as a national holiday doesn’t stop the fight for police reform & reparations. It’s an opportunity to TEACH the masses about an important part of AA history,” one user tweeted.

Others are pointing out the hypocrisy in the bill.

Twitter users also remind people of the need for massive reform in the voting laws, and the police force. “I have mixed feelings about making Juneteenth a federal holiday,” Terrance D. Carroll, the former speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, tweeted. “It’s probably a good thing, but I refuse to get too excited about something that doesn’t fundamentally change the status quo. A game changer is passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.”

The John Lewis Voting Rights Act would restore and strengthen certain parts of the Voting Rights Act 1965, including certain portions that were amended by the United States Supreme Court after the 2013 election. Shelby County v. Holder decision.

Then there is the discussion about reparations that were promised victims of slavery and their descendants but never received. 

The reaction to the Juneteenth news is a reminder that although this is a step forward, there’s still a long way to go.